Driving mechanism for looms



Se t. 22, 1936. E. R. HOLMES DRIVING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed June 21, 1934 attorneys Patented Sept. 7 22, 1936 UNETED STATES DRIVING MECHANISM FOR LOQMS Elbridge R. Holmes, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 21, 1934, Serial No. 731,695

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in driving or shipping mechanisms for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide an improved mechanism of this kind which shall 5 permit the loom to be clutched to its driving motor with a minimum of effort on the part of the user.

In shipping mechanisms of certain types of looms as heretofore constructed the two clutch 10 members on the driving shaft have been held together by a force which is exerted longitudinally of the shaft. With such an arrangement there results end pressure between the clutch controller and a stationary part of the loom which causes 15 rapid wear. It is an important object of my present invention to provide means for clutching the loom to its driver through mechanism which exerts a force transversely of the shaft between two parts which are carried by the shaft. In

the transverse force can be reduced to a minimum.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a collar which is secured to the driving shaft in adjusted position and to pivot to it a yoke or setting lever having parts to exert a force longitudinally of the shaft and cause engagement of the clutch elements and having other parts which are acted upon by a toggle connection to move 30 transversely of the shaft when a sliding collar on the shaft is moved by a shipper lever. The force which must be exerted between the driving and driven members of the clutch increases as they are pressed together and the effect of the 5 toggle is to exert an increasing force as the sliding collar moves along the shaft, thereby relieving the weaver of the necessity to pull with increasing force on the shipper handle as the loom starts to run.

40 It is another object of my present invention to make the previously mentioned collar which is fastened to the shaft adjustable longitudinally to compensate for wearing of the clutch elements and also for variation in the pressure of the 45 toggle.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide the previously mentioned sliding collar with a strap or pivot support which can be adjusted transversely of the shaft to vary one of 5 the pivots of the toggle link and this adjustment together with the one mentioned in connection with the collar which is fastened to the shaft affords means for giving the toggle connection a variety of settings.

55 With these and other objects in view which will this way the end thrust which is required to exert appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, parts being in section, of the driving mechanism of a loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely of the driving shaft on line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

i Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken vertically through the shaft along lines 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. :4 is a diagrammatic view showing certain parts of Fig. 1 in a different position, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 55, Fig. 1, on a reduced scale.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame Iii supports a main bearing H for the top or crank shaft I2. The latter drives a lay through a connector is and may have one revolution for each pick of the loom. A top gear I4 is secured to the shaft and has bolted thereto at one side a brake wheel l5 and at the other side a driven clutch element It. The parts l4, l5 and I6 rotate with the shaft at all times, the gear 14 meshing with a lower gear of twice the size shown at I1 and the brake wheel I5 cooperating with brake mechanism not shown to stop the loom quickly should a shuttle be caught in the shed of the warp.

Rotating loosely on the shaft I2 is a driving gear 28 which meshes with the driving pinion of a motor not shown. The driving gear has a web 21 having a friction face 22 against which the friction material, such as cork or leather 23, of the driven clutch element presses. The gear in effect .is the driving clutch element and is normally spaced from the driven element by means of 'compression springs one of which is indicated at 24in Fig. 1. These springs act on the hub 25 of the driving gear to press the latter away from the driven part of the clutch. The effect of these springs is to prevent dragging of the clutch surfaces when the loom is at rest.

Extending laterally from the loom frame is a shipper bearing support 36] having a bearing 3! in alignment with the bearing H and through which the outer end of the shaft I2 extends. The bearing and stand are held rigidly in place and support a pivot 32 around which a shipper lever 33 moves. As indicated in Fig. 5 the shipper lever is formed in two parts 34 and 35 which may have slots 36 through which the trunions, 3'! of a thrust collar 38 extend.

aally or to the left as 3. This movement 33 will be moved to it of collar 55 along will become oblique iutwardly away from 7651 in Fig. 1, thereby rem the driving gear clutch elements. parts is desired, set 1d collar 59 adjusted linally of the shaft. e had by setting the )lll 66 can be moved he shaft. These ad- .ion for wear of the 59, and also the rate be seen that I have onnecting the clutch s of shipper mechal with a very small 'od 39. The mechaiection the effect of 65 is moved toward iis condition accomressure between the aments there will be re power which must t complete shipping ng position. It will and U-shaped bearadjustment of the udinally and transinvention it will be :ations may be made he art without descope of the invenmited to the details :laim is:

r a loom, a shaft to ments movable relum n'F nvhinh WA"..-

The matter thus far described may be of usual form and of itself forms no part of my present invention. A movement of rod 39 to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 will move the shipper lever 33 to cause movement of the thrust collar 38 toward the clutch and driving gear for the purpose of causing loom operation, and when said rod is moved to the right the clutch elements are released and will be separated by the springs 24.

In carrying my present invention intoeffect I interpose between the shipper lever 33 and the driving gear a set of parts which convert the longitudinal movement of the shipper lever along shaft I 2 first into a force transverse of the shaft and then back to a force longitudinal of the shaft, the transverse component being of considerable power so that comparatively slight force is required to be exerted on the shipper lever to drive the loom. A collar is fixed in adjusted angular and longitudinal position'on the shaft l2 to rotate with the latter by means of a set screw 5| and there is extending through said collar a pivot pin 52 which passes to one side of the shaft 12.

. A setting yoke or lever 55 has spaced bearings 56 lying on opposite sides of the collar 56 and through which the pin 52 extends. These bearings are connected by a web 57- and the bearings have projecting therefrom arms 49 having thrust nose pieces 58., The latter bear against a pressure washer 59 which is in engagement with the right hand end of hub 25 as viewed in Fig. l and is renewable when worn. The washer 59 has projecting therefrom a pin 66 which enters the fixed vcollar 55 so that the washer 59 is held normally against rotation. This is shown more particularly in Fig. 4, but I do not wish to be limited to use of the pin 66 or washer, although the latter takes wear which would otherwise be caused on the hub 25 by the noses 58.

A sliding collar is mounted to move freely along and angularly with respect to the shaft I2 and has fitted thereover a U-shaped strap or yoke 66 through which extends a set screw 61 which projects as shown in Fig. 2 into the collar 65. A second pivot pin 68 passes through the parallel sides 69 of the strap 66 and that portion of said pin 68 between the sides 69 lies in a slot 19 formed in the collar 65. By reason of the slot the pin is required to move in a radial direction only with respect to the collar 65 when adjustments are made by the set screw 61.

Loosely pivoted at each end of the pin 68 is a toggle link 15 and each toggle link in turn is pivoted as at 16 to an arm 11 projecting from the setting element 55 in a direction substantially longitudinally with respect to shaft 12. As shown in Fig. 3 the sliding collar 65 is slotted to receive the thrust collar 38 and the latter is C-shaped so that it may be fitted between the shoulders 78 defined by the groove 19 in collar 65 into which collar 38 fits.

In operation, with the loom idle, the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the driven and driving clutch elements separated. Shipper lever 33 tends to move to the right by yielding means not shown but old, and the arms or noses 58' will be subjected to a slight force to move collar 65 longitudh viewed particularly in Fig will cause the links 15 to 68 and assume positions m4 ular to the axis of the sha: verse of the latter. The pi move toward the center 01 the shaft or upwardly and setting lever 55 around pin 5 wise direction as viewed ir noses 58 longitudinally of sh 59. When the shipper leve to its full position the parts tion indicated diagrammat. the pivots 68 and 16 in a 1i pendicular to the; axis of i stable condition and can be ily with slight holding force 33, which is yieldingly lo( handle, not shown, but whi in copending application fili No. 731,073 filed June 18, it are in the position indicate members are in tight engage: and driving force will be con gear 29 to the shaft l2.

To unship the loom, lever the right to cause movemei the shaft and the links 715 to cause pivots 76 to move c the axis of the shaft as viev moving the noses 58 away ii to permit separation of the If an adjustment of the screw 5! may be loosened at either angularly or longituc A further adjustment may b screw 67 so that the pivot r toward or from the axis of ti justments permit compensat clutch elements and washer and extent of clutching.

From the foregoing it will provided a simple means for c elements of a loom by mean. nism which can be operate amount of force exerted on i nism includes a toggle conn which increases as the collar the driving gear and since tr panies an increase in the p: driving and driven clutch ele noobjectionable increase in tl be exerted on rod 39 to eifec of the clutch devices to drivi also be seen that the collar 59 ing strap or yoke 66 permit toggle connection both longit versely of the shaft.

Having thus described my seen that changes and modific therein by those skilled in t parting from the spirit and tion and I do not wish to be li herein disclosed, but what I c 1. In driving mechanism f0 be driven, a pair of clutch ele ativel-y to each other and m transversely of the shaft, a link transverse of the shaft connected to the second arm and the other collar, relative movement of the collar causing movement of the second arm transversely of the shaft to effect driving relation between the clutch elements, and a pivotal support for the link on one of the collars movable to any one of a plurality of fixed positions transversely of the shaft.

2. In driving mechanism for a loom, a shaft to be driven, a pair of clutch elements movable relatively to each other one of which moves with the shaft at all times and the other of which is loose on the shaft, a collar fastened to the shaft, a setting lever pivoted to the collar and having an arm part of which is movable longitudinally with respect to the collar into engagement with the element loose on the shaft, a second collar loose on the shaft but movable longitudinally along the shaft, a yoke carried by the second collar and capable of assuming a plurality of positions relatively to the second collar and transversely of the shaft, a link one end of which is pivotally supported by the yoke and the other end of which is connected to the setting lever, movement of the second collar longitudinally of the shaft causing relative movement between the link and setting lever to effect rocking of the latter in a direction to move the said arm of the setting lever into engagement with the loose element to move the latter into operative relation with respect to the other element.

3. In driving mechanism for a loom, a shaft to be driven, a driven element fixed to the shaft, a driving element loose on the shaft, a collar fixed to the shaft, a setting lever pivoted to the collar and having an arm extending transversely of the shaft and position-ed for engagement with the second named element, the setting lever having a second arm extending longitudinally of the shaft, a second collar loose on and slidable longitudinally along the shaft, a yoke carried by the second collar, means to give the yoke a plurality of positions relatively to the second collar and transversely of the shaft, a link pivotally mounted to the yoke and normally oblique with respect to the axis of the shaft, a pivotal connection between the setting lever and the link, and means to move the collar longitudinally along the shaft, movement of the sliding collar longitudinally of the shaft causing the link to assume a position approximately perpendicular to the shaft and effecting rocking of the setting lever to move the first named arm of said setting lever into operative relation with respect to the loose element and move the latter against the element tight on the shaft, the degree of force exerted by the first named arm of the setting lever on the loose element varying with the transverse setting of the yoke relatively to the shaft.

4. In driving mechanism for a loom, a shaft to be driven, a pair of clutch elements movable relatively to each other and one of which moves with the shaft, a sliding collar on the shaft, a fixed collar on the shaft, a setting lever pivoted to the fixed collar and having an arm part of which is normally in non-pressure-transmitting relation with respect to the elements but movable longitudinally of the shaft into engagement with one of the elements to operatively relate the clutch elements and having another arm part of which is movable transversely of the shaft, a toggle link extending transversely of the shaft and interposed between the sliding collar and the second named arm of the setting lever to cause rocking movement of the latter when the sliding collar moves longitudinally of the shaft, and means carried by and restrained against movements longitudinally of the shaft relatively to the sliding collar by the latter and pivotally connected to the link and movable relatively to the sliding collar transversely of the shaft to vary the position of the link transversely of the shaft.

5. In driving mechanism for a loom, a shaft to be driven, a pair of clutch elements movable relatively to each other and one of which moves with the shaft, the other element being movable along the shaft to have driving relation with the first element, a setting lever, means rigid with the shaft defining a pivotal connection for the setting lever, said lever having two arms a part of one of which moves longitudinally of the shaft when in engagement with said other element to effect driving relation between the elements and the other arm of which has a part movable transversely of the shaft, a collar slidable on the shaft, spaced walls on the collar defining guides extending transversely of the shaft, a strap between the walls and held by the latter against relative movement with respect to the sliding collar in a direction longitudinally of the shaft, adjustable means interposed between the strap and the sliding collar to vary the transverse setting of the strap relatively to the shaft, and a toggle link pivotally connected to the strap and also to the second named arm of the setting lever.

ELBRIDGE R. HOLMES. 

